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The Age of Beige is Over!

What do you get when you combine a couple with opposing design aesthetics, a single room in their house in desperate need of a makeover and a colour wheel – you get a vibrant episode of Colour Confidential!

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The crux of the program centres on each couple moving away from the standard builder beige and making a giant leap towards adding a splash of colour to what is a boring room. The homeowners then face the tough task of determining three colours that ultimately form the basis of their room’s colour scheme, using everyday objects that inspire them. These objects (which could range from red strawberries or blue earrings to violet flowers) are systematically placed around the show’s secret weapon, the colour wheel. The colour wheel consists of 12 shades covering primary colours through to varying shades of secondary colours (including warmer tones and cooler shades).

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Jane Lockhart, who’s the designer and host of Colour Confidential (screened during weekdays on the LifeStyle Home channel), guides each couple during the decision process, after which she is then presented with the difficult challenge of pulling all three colours together, decorating and transforming the room with some va va va voom!

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What three colours would you pick? The first colour selected is the dominant shade used on each wall. The second colour chosen is generally painted on a feature wall, ceiling or trims and in some instances, influences the type of flooring installed (including tiles, carpet or timber floorboards). The third colour choice is used as the inspiration behind accent pieces such as area rugs, curtains, pillows, furniture or other focal points.

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Like certain couples on the program, I have a slight reluctance to painting a mixture of bright, bold colours (that don’t generally co-ordinate or blend well together) in one room. The formula behind the program could spell a recipe for a renovation disaster. However, Jane provides tips and advice on what colour combination to run with, while often acting as a mediator or designer therapist for the participants involved. It’s interesting to see the dynamics of each couple, as they negotiate between themselves, you witness how far each participant is willing to compromise with their partner, or ultimately, which individual has the domineering personality.

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The final result is nothing short of spectacular. Jane manages to exhibit exceptional prowess in bringing together contrasting, or not so complimentary shades, and creating a harmonious theme for a room. Jane has the skill of unifying bold vibrant colours on the opposite ends of the spectrum and surprisingly develops a look that is functional, contemporary and elegantly stylish using textures and layers of accent pieces.

The approach is innovative and unique. It proves that if you’re willing to move away from boring neutral tones towards adopting splashes of colour, you can dramatically transform a room and add some character and personality to a space. Like most people, I just need to make that giant leap and finally step out of my age of beige comfort zone.